Esther

"“O my Lord, you alone are our King. Come to my assistance, for I am alone and have no one to help me but you. My life is in great danger. From my earliest days I was taught by my family that you, O Lord, chose Israel out of all the nations and our fathers from among all their forebearers, as an everlasting heritage, and that you have fulfilled all the promises you made to them. But now we have sinned against you, and you have handed us over to our enemies18 because we paid honor to their gods. You are just, O Lord. “However, now our enemies are not satisfied with our bitter slavery. They have vowed to their idols to annul the decree you have proclaimed and destroy your heritage, to silence the mouths of those who praise you and to destroy your altar and the glory of your house, and instead, to open the mouths of the nations to praise their worthless idols and to offer an earthly king everlasting praise. “O Lord, do not consign your scepter to gods who do not exist. Do not let our enemies exult in our downfall, but turn their designs against them and make an example of the chief of our persecutors."

"Remember us, O Lord. Reveal yourself in this time of our tribulation, and give me courage, O King of gods and Master of every dominion. Give me the power of persuasive speech when I face the lion and enable me to turn his heart to hatred of the one who is our enemy so that he and all those who share his feelings may perish. Save us by your arm and come to my aid, for I am alone and have no one on whom to rely but you, O Lord. “You know all things.26 You are fully aware that I hate the honors offered by the wicked and abhor the bed of the uncircumcised or of any alien. You know the straits I am in. I loathe the symbol of my proud position that I wear on my head on days when I appear in public. I detest it as if it were an unclean rag, and I do not wear it on days when I am in private. I, your servant, have never eaten at Haman’s table, nor have I attended any banquet of the king or drunk the wine of libations. From the day I changed my state until now, I have experienced no joy except in you, O Lord, God of Abraham. O God all-powerful, give heed to the pleas of those in despair. Deliver us from the power of the wicked and rescue me from my fear."